Electric switch



Sept. 1, 1953 K. c. ALLlsoN 2,650,959

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed June 4, 1952 ja 24 iV/624i INVENTOR.

2j 20 mmmj ZW C @Mam Patented Sept. l, 1953 UNITED STATES 'ATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SWITCH Application June 4, 1952, Serial No.291,749

8 Claims. (C1. 20D-15) This invention relates to switches and particularly rotary electrical switches of the type wherein contact blades carried on a rotor cooperate respectively with spring jaw contacts on a stator surrounding the rotor whereby circuits may be selectively established between such stator contacts by rotation of the rotor.

The present invention is especially directed to a rotary switch of the character described which combines an index plate xed to a bushing and a spring indexing member fixed to the protruding end of a shaft rotatably Vmounted in said bushing, and an insulating stator and an insulating rotor about said shaft between said indexing member and index plate. In former switches of this style it has been customary to .lock the rotor and shaft by means of a rotor shaft receiving opening in the rotor having intertting relation with a flattened portion on the shaft. As proposed in the switch of this` invention, the angular position of the rotor relative to the shaft is controlled by the indexing member rather than through the cooperating surfaces oi the shaft and the shaft receiving opening of the rotor with the result that the assembly is not only greatly facilitated but the fixed angular position of the rotor relative to the shaft is more positively maintained under conditions of hard use.

The switch contemplated by the present invention also provides for an index plate so joined to the stator as tc provide especially rigid anchorage of the stator thereon.

With these and other objects in view, as may vappear from the accompanying specification, the .invention consists of Various features of construction and combination of parts, which will be first described in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing a preferred embodiment of the invention, and the features forming the invention will be specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred form of switch embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the shaft and indexing member.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

The switch embodying the features of this invention as illustrated in the drawing includes an insulating stator I0 and a metal base or index plate I I to which the stator is secured in juxtaposed relation. As shown in Fig. 4 a bushing I2 has an end wall portion. crimped.` as at I.3 in overlapping relation to the edge I4 of an opening in the plate I I' while a collar I 5 of hexagonal or similar shape having diametrically opposed flat sides formed integrally with the bushing I2 presents an annular face IB against which the plate I I is firmly seated about the edge I4 of the opening in the latter. Straight edge portions formed in diametrically opposite sections of the edge I4 of the opening in the plate II. are offset from the plane of the. plate, as at Il, in a direction to engage opposite faces I8 of the collar I5 of the bushing I2 whereby the plate II and bushing I2 are locked against relative rotation. .The area of the plate. II about the portion of the bushing I2 crimped tothe edge le of the plate il and facing in the direction of the stator IIB is exposed through an opening I9 providedV in the stator. Notches or recesses 20 formed in diametrically opposedV edge portions of the stator opening IllY are designed to contain staking ears 2'I formed integrally with the plate II to rigidly anchor the stator Il) on the plate II.

As shown in Fig. 5, the ears 2| have opposed edge portions which have wedging `iit with the walls of the notch 2Q adjacent the end of the ears joined to the p-late I Iv as well as at Vthe staked end of the ears. Thus stator Ill and plate I I are drawn into a state of rigid assembly lin a manner that positively assures a constantly fixed juncture of said parts against any relative angular movement.

Reference numeral 22 designates a, cylindrical shaft rotatably supported in the bushing I2. A spring ring 23 seated in a circumferential slot provided in the body of the shaft 22 engages the edge 241 of the bushing I2 remote from the plate I I so as to restrict movement of the shaft 22 axially of the shaft in the direction of the opposite edge I3 of the bushing. An insulating rotor 25 is formed with a central opening of such contour as to fit the circular contour of the shaft 22 protruding from the end portion I3 of the bushing. A spring metal strip '26 is locked to the shaft 22 by means of a tubular extension at the protruding end of the shaft 22 which is crimped as at 2'I in overlapping relation to the edge of an opening of substantially square contour formed in the strip 2B. The rotor is keyed to the shaft 22 by means of integral ears 28 and 2e on the strip 26 which diametrically straddle the end of the shaft facing the strip 26, and matching notches 3Q formed in the edge of the shaft receiving opening in the rotor, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Thus the notches 3@ in the shaft receiving opening in the rotor and the ears 2t and 29 on the strip 2GB have interlocking engagement to maintain the rotor and shaft in xed assembled relation for rotation in unison.

The end of the strip 2t extending radially away from the shaft 22, designated at 3 l, is bent to form a nger engagealole with alternating depressions 32 and elevations 33 formed along a marginal portion of the plate l l which is exposed beyond the periphery of the stator underlying said strip 26. Thus the rotor is stationed at selected positions of rotation according to the relative position of the spring strip 2t and the depressions and elevations on Ythe exposed mai.1u gin of the plate il. Stops 34 and 35 at opposite ends oi said marginal portion of the plate are operative to limit the movement of the strip 26 and the shaft 22 according to the arc of movcment required to accomplish. the desired switching action between spring javv contacts secured on the stator and the cooperating blade 3? of a contact member secured on the rotor. it will be observed that the contact member 3i is secured to the rotor by means of angular fingers which pierce the rotor and are staked to the face of the rotor in a position opposite the area of clearance between the stator and the radially opposite surface of the shaft 22.

What is claimed is:

l. An electric switch comprising an insulating stator having an opening through which an operating shaft projects, an insulating rotor having an opening through which said shaft pro jects, a metal base to which said stator is xed, said hase presenting a marginal portion beyond the peripheral limits of the stator, indexing means on said marginal portion of the base, and means through which the rotor is rotatively locked to the shaft including a spring member fixed to the shaft and having a radially extending nnger cooperating with said indexing means, said spring member having integral members interlocked with notches formed in the rotor, and cooperating contacts on the rotor and stator.

2. An electric switch as dened in claim l wherein said integral members on the spring members are interlocked with notches formed in diametrically opposite edge portions of the opening in the rotor through which the operating Ashait projects.

3. An electric switch as defined in claim 1 wherein integral members on the metal base are interlocked with notches formed in opposite edge portions of the opening in the stator through which the operating shaft projects.

4. An electric switch as deiined in claim l wherein integral members on the metal base and notches formed in opposite edge portions of the opening in the stator through which the operating shaft projects have wedging iit.

5. An electric switch as defined in claim i wherein integral members on the metal base and notches formed in opposite edge portions of the opening in the stator through which the operating shaft projects have wedging lit circumierend tially of the path of rotation of the shaft.

6. An electric switch comprising an insulating stator having an aperture therethrough, a metal base to which said stator is xed in ace to face relation and presenting a marginal portion beyond the peripheral limits of the stator, an open ing in the plate in alignment with but of smaller size than the aperture in the stator, a bushing having an end portion to which the edge of the opening in the plate is fixed, a shaft rotatably mounted in said bushing and projecting beyond opposite ends of the bushing, an insulating rotor on the shaft portion projecting from the end of the bushing to which the base is fixed, said rotor being of such size as to overlap the edge oi the opening in the stator, indexing means on said marginal portion of the base, and means through which the rotor is rotatively locked to the shaft including a spring member ixed to the end oi the shaft having a radially extending finger cooperating with said indexing means on the marginal portion of the base, and cooperatn ing contacts on the rotor and stator.

7. An electric switch as defined in claim 6 wherein integral members on the metal base notches formed in opposite edge portions of the aperture in the stator have interiitting relation to fix the stator and metal base in rigid assembly.

8. An electric switch as denned in claim e wherein integral members on the metal oa-se and notches formed in opposite edge portions of the aperture in the stator have wedging lt circumferentially of the path of rotation of the shaft.

KENNETH C. ALLES-ON No references cited. 

